Years Apart
by taivaspoika
Summary: Love can overcome various obstacles. But can it overcome something greater than before? Can love overcome time itself? Read and find out.
1. Chapter 1

Let's just get on with the story… I don't have anything special to say. Except, first I thought that Milard was a man. Really. But it has nothing to do with the story.

And I just don't own these guys. Namco does… Oh, how I long to publish something, like a game or a movie or a novel and then write fics of it… no disclaimers needed.

--

Since his return to Euclid, Claus had been gloomy. The steady country life felt like nothing compared to those adventures he had had with the other 'Heroes of the Space-Time'. Especially with one little girl…

--

Milard had been watching the professor for a while know, wondering what was wrong. It was obvious that something was wrong - Claus kept staring into nothingness and sighing heavily. Sometimes Milard was sure he wasn't even sleeping much.

There was no way professor could work like that. She shook her head. Something had to be done.

"Claus. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, Milard… it's nothing…"

Another deep sigh.

"Claus."

"…"

"I can't work with you if you're being stubborn like that. Did something happen on your journey? Someone died, right? Someone important?" Even though it pained her heart that Claus could have someone more important than her, there was no jealousy in her voice.

"…een born yet…"

"What? I didn't hear that."

"I said. She hasn't even been born yet. And she won't be in few centuries."

Claus looked away. It pained him that no matter how he thought about it, there was no way he could travel back to the future. He had promised to Cress and the others that he'd seal away the Eternal Sword. And he had done so.

"From the future… So it is true that you travelled in time…"

"Milard… Do you think I could travel back?"

"No! I wouldn't let you! You have classes to teach!" Light pink tinted her ears and cheeks. "Whatever. I'll go cook dinner."

Claus leaned on a wall and sighed. He should go to Thor…

--

Almost 200 years in the future was another lonely soul. _"It's alright to cry. Even if you're ninja."_ She remembered those words, said by one of her companions.

In the darkness of the night Suzu shed tears, wondering, if anyone knew what she was doing.

It had been a year or so since she had parted the others. Still she cried. It had been half of a year since she had passed the Test of Ninja. Two months ago she had started her seduction classes.

"_Mainly for seducing your target. Secondly for your spouse."_

She was the youngest girl there, only twelve years of age. But it didn't matter - she was a primus, perfect student. Lecturers were amazed by her skill and she would just stand still and silent when they praised her. It brought back some pretty painful memories.

One day, though, Suzu daydreaming again when an idea struck her. Her companions had come from the past! And they had travelled back, yes, but how did they get to her time? They had used the Eternal Sword to travel back, but they had merged it in her time…

"Chief! Chief!"

"What is it, Suzu?"

"Is there… is there a way to travel in time? To the past."

"Time travel? Yes, yes it might be possible."

"How, Chief? How could I travel in time?"

"Well, there are old scripts you should look at - they're full of information. There's even something about the Heroes of the Space-Time. And Ancient Kingdoms… If you're interested in them, I advise you to travel to Euclid. You might find some clues there."

Suzu felt a knot in her stomach. Euclid… She still had mixed feelings for that place - Claus lived there, but she had killed her very own parents there…

"Euclid, you say? Are you sure there's nothing in Alvanista?"

The chief shrugged. "I suppose there could be something, too. But one of the Heroes was from Euclid, wasn't he?"

"…Yes, he was. Now, if you excuse, I'll leave and prepare for my journey."

"Good luck, my grand-daughter."

Going to Euclid would take lot of courage for Suzu. It was one reason she wanted to go to Alvanista first. Other was that Alvanista was closer to Ymir than Euclid. And there was also and research laboratory and a library. If there was nothing, well, then she would travel to Euclid.

It took her five days of walking to get to Alvanista. It was as usual - lot of people, lot of noise. Nowadays the residents of Alvanista were happier than they had been. The reason for that was the defeat of Dhaos the Demon King. Still, even if Suzu had been in the group that had saved the world, no one spoke to her. No one congratulation her. No one knew that she was one of the Heroes. Code of Ninja - keep your secrecy.

But when Suzu was announced before the King of Alvanista, he knew who she was and upon her request, allowed her the use of research lab and Royal Library. His Majesty also offered the Ninja girl a full accommodation, but she politely refused for she was a girl not for luxury. Suzu said that she had a room in the Inn. It wasn't completely true, but she wasn't actually lying - she would get a room later.

After being dismissed the girl found her way to the lab. It was located in the basement, with guards at the door. She was let through.

One would think that it is cold in the basement, but no, it wasn't. It was as warm as it had been few floors up.

The researchers, both human and half-elf, looked at her suspiciously. Twelve-years old sure had nothing to do in their labs.

Despite the look she got, Suzu bravely approached one of the half-elf researchers.

"Excuse me, mister. I came here for information, and I see no other way to obtain it than ask. And as no one seems to notice me, I thought that maybe I should approach you."

The man gave him a strange look, but decided after a while that talking to a strange kid wouldn't be too bad. "Okay, little miss. State your business."

"Could you please tell me about time travel."

The half-elf was noticeably surprised. "Time travel? How could a kid like you know about time travelling?"

Suzu took a deep breath. She had known that she would be treated like this. No one takes a child seriously, right?

"Mister, I am one of those who defeated the Demon King and my companions travelled through time to do so. And now I need to travel in order to meet them once again. Is that possible?"

"Oh. I'm sorry."

The man was still suspicious, but Suzu didn't care. "Is Lundgrom here? I want to talk with him. He is bound to know something, after all, he knew the Heroes in the past, too."

"Of course, little miss. I'll get him."

And with that, he hurried away. Gee, that girl sure was creepy! She looked like a child, but carried her figure like a grown up woman and her eyes… they were the eyes of a killer.

Suzu occupied herself with some sort of experiment. Of course she didn't touch it, just looked at it. It looked a bit too complicated for her to understand… Maybe it was one of those half-elf things.

"You were asking for me?"

Suzu turned around, startled and ready for an attack. When she saw who it was, she relaxed. "Yes, master Lundgrom. I am interested in time travel."

"Oh, wait. Is your name by any chance Suzu Fujibayashi?"

"Yes, that's me…but what does that…"

"I have a letter for you."

Just what… A letter for her? She was surprised. Why would Lundgrom have a letter for… Wait.

"Is it… Is it from Claus?" She barely found the courage to say those words, and they came out as a whisper.

Lundgrom nodded. "Follow me to my study, I have it there."

--

Oooh, a cliff-hanger! Now what will happen? What did Claus write to her? Was it really Claus? What does Claus do in his own time? How does Milard react when she finds out about Suzu? Does Suzu find a way to travel in time?

These and many other questions will be answered in future chapters!

Please send reviews and questions that trouble you!

Even flames are adored, even though they are answered with passionate anger!


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter, some questions are answered!

--

The door shut behind Suzu and she was trapped in Lundgrom's study. It was a small, plain room with high shelves full of books of all kinds. Mostly of magic and technology. ´To her embarrassment, Suzu was able to notice some romance novels that were somewhat hidden on the top shelf.

The half-elf was rummaging through his desk drawers, looking for the letter. He was mumbling, trying to remember where he had put it almost two hundred years ago.

Finally, with a sigh, he straightened his back and held his hand out.

"Here, take it."

Eyes fixed on the old letter, Suzu walked towards the man. Carefully she took it to her hands, trying not to damage the document.

"Don't worry, I've strengthened it with magic. It should be as strong as new."

"Thank you, Lundgrom. Can I… can I sit down?"

"Sure. Help yourself, there's a sofa behind that shelf", Lundgrom said and pointed at a shelf on his left.

Gratefully smiling Suzu sat down. She licked her lips. What could the letter be about? Had something happened?

With trembling hands, she broke the seal and saw shabby handwriting. Definitely Claus's.

--

It was midnight, but Claus was still awake. He had something he had to do. He was sitting in front of his desk, scribbling on a piece of paper. He had never been the one to express himself through words on paper, but his time… it was the only way.

It was the only way to get in touch with Suzu.

Once he was happy with his text, he sealed it with was and placed it carefully inside one of his books, _Seven Suns._

A yawn escaped his mouth and he decided it was time to go to sleep. He would finish his task with the letter tomorrow.

Claus blew the candle off and pulled a cover over himself, instantly falling asleep.

--

Suzu bounced up from the sofa, startling Lundgrom.

"What's wrong, Suzu?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong… It's just that… There's a time machine in Thor, isn't there?"

"Yes, that's true. We discovered it few years ago and ever since we've been researching it. Harrisson knows more about it. If you're so interested in it, I think I could get you in one of the expeditions…" Lundgrom said thoughtfully.

"Really? I'd appreciate it. Of course, I'll find a way to reward you."

"It's alright. Claus was a good friend of mine, and I think of this as a favour to him. But there is one problem…"

"What is it?"

"You were interested in time travel, yes?"

Suzu nodded. She was.

"This is an unfortunate setback, but the machine is broken. Harrisson used it to pick up the Heroes. After that it was unfortunately unbalanced with the power of mana that was released from Dhaos's body and from the Yggdrasil when the Mana Seed was born. Since then we've tried to balance it, but… there's no progress so far."

Suzu was in agony. "What?! I…I… This is… SHIT."

Lundgrom sighed. "They have a group of technicians in Euclid that are specialized in fixing that machine. Harrisson is part of that group. You should pay them a visit, Suzu. I think they're still in the city and haven't left for Thor yet. And if they have, well, they should be back in a month or so."

The girl collected herself, reminding herself that no matter what, she was still Ninja. "Yes. Of course. I'll go to Euclid. Thank you for everything, Lundgrom. I'll come to see you later."

"Goodbye, Suzu. Let us hope we'll meet again. Until then… Good luck."

Suzu smiled to the half-elf and thanked him before leaving the study, the basement, the castle. She went to the Inn and stayed there for a night. Not sleeping well, having dreams of what future could have in store for her. Almost all of the dreams were hopeless and dark.

But as always, a new day arrived. With chirping birds and red rays of sun, Suzu left for the port and was able to catch a ship just before it was leaving.

Her young age caused yet again trouble, but it was nothing she wasn't able to overcome.

"Should a kid like you really travel in a ship full of men?" Had the captain asked.

"Do not worry about me, Captain. I can very well take care of myself. If something, you should be worried about you men, for I am skilled with the sword", she had answered, serious in a way only few children were.

The Captain had looked at her small frame and noticed the same things the researcher had - her experienced posture, cold eyes and self-confidence of someone who had done great things. Sighing in defeat, he gestured his hand towards his ship. "C'mon, get on board. We're leaving in half an hour."

"Thank you, Captain. This means lot to me."

She had never crossed the ocean in a ship, when travelling with the Heroes they had always flown. But they had given the Techbirds back to Euclid research laboratory, where they had been invented. That left Suzu with no options but to sail. Sure, she could have use the secret Ninja technique of teleportation, but such a long way was a tiring and she wanted to rest.

So, ship it had been. The trip over the ocean had taken several days, little over a week.

And then they finally arrived at Venezia. The city was lively as usual and smells of sea and fish made Suzu gag. As fast as she could she left the city.

Finally she was on the way, walking south towards Euclid. She remembered that Lone Valley was on the way, and wondered if Arche still lived there. She could pay her a visit…

Reaching Lone Valley on the fourth day after her departure from Venezia, she couldn't resist the temptation and went to see if the pink haired sorceress was there.

A lonely wooden house greeted Suzu when she turned left from the main road. The house was obviously old, probably over 200 years old. It looked good, though. It seemed that someone was living there.

She knocked the door and hoped that Arche really lived there. She kept swallowing. What if it wasn't Arche? What would she say then?

Door cracked open, revealing a cheerful face of half-elf. "Suzu!"

"Oh thank Goddess it's you!" Ninja sighed.

"Suzu, come on in! What brings you here?"

Younger girl shrugged. "Just passing by."

Pink haired girl, now almost a woman, smiled. "Hey, you can stay here for a night. It's been a while since we last saw, right? Over a year for you and two hundred for me… "

Suzu smiled, happy to be reunited with one of her companions. "Yeah. Something like that."

"Well, yeah! You know, I've got a boyfriend! Isn't that great? He's real sweetie!" Arche was happy, and her good mood affected Suzu, making her smile and laugh with the witch.

"Really? That's cool. Who is he? Is he a half-elf, too?" Of course Ninja was interested in her friend's love life.

"Yes, he is… I met him in Arlee couple of decades ago. He works in Euclid, some kind of research… Hey, Suzu. You got anyone? You have passed the Test, right?"

Suzu tensed, blushed and looked away. "Well, yeah, but it's… complicated."

"Oh?"

"I…I'll tell you about it later, when I've got it all cleared up. It's still bit hazy and I don't want make any haste conclusions that might prove wrong."

"Oh, that's too bad. Well, whatever. How are you doing?"

"Nothing special. At the moment I'm travelling to Euclid. Chief encouraged me to take part in research. First I visited Alvanista, but master Lundgrom told me to go to Euclid."

Arche gave the girl a gleeful smile. "Wow. A kid so young as you taking a part in research… Hey, if you meet my boyfriend, care to tell him hi for me?"

"Sure. We're friends, after all. Say, what does he look like?"

"Oh, right. You won't know him unless I tell you what he looks like!" Pink haired girl giggled and described her beloved. She told Suzu that he had long, green hair, unusually big ears and eyes of sparkling purple. He was tall and slim. Handsome, too.

"He sounds like a good guy."

"Oh, he is wonderful! You should know what he does when we're alone!" Arche gave the girl a sly smile and a giggle. "Not that you'd know much about those things…"

"…You're right…" Suzu's cheeks turned into a dark shade of red, as she reminded herself that Arche had no idea of what had happened in Friezkiel almost a year ago.

"I'm sorry to embarrass you. Here, have some tea."

"Thanks."

The two girls sat in a silence, sipping their drinks.

"Say, Arche. How come you're not together with Chester? I noticed you two had something between you…"

"Oh, Chester… After returning to my own time, I thought about 150 years that I'd have to wait for him. It is a long time. So, I dated some other guys and then fell in love."

"…so you didn't actually think about his feelings?"

"Oh c'mon. Of course I went and apologized to him. I'm sure he has found someone awesome."

Suzu yawned. "Right. I think I'll be going to bed now. Good night."

"Good night."

Arche looked after her friend and smiled. It had been a long time since they had seen each other and it was refreshing to have a chat between friends.

As she was getting up, she noticed something had fallen from Suzu's pocket. It looked like an old piece of paper. Curious, she picked it up.

It was a letter.

"What… is this… written by Claus?"

--

OOOH! What's going to happen now? How does Arche react? What does it say in the letter? Does Suzu visit Cress and the others? How are they doing? How did Lundgrom get the letter?

These questions will be answered in future chapters… Keep on waiting!

And again, reviews, questions and flames are welcome, always answered in appropriate way.

Keep you thumbs up, guys!


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, here we go! I've had lots of time to write lately…

--

Arche held the letter in her hands, wondering whether she should read it or not. She had recognized Claus's awful handwriting and it actually made her curious - why would Suzu have a letter written by him? And could this be _that_ letter?

The witch gave in to her curiosity and started reading.

"_Suzu_.

_I hope you understand why I gave this letter to Lundgrom, not Arche. Of course I could have had Arche deliver this straight to you, but I figured out that she would read this and it is something I don't wish to happen. So I hope you decided to pay Lundgrom a visit._

_I'd love to come and visit you in the future, but I can't. The machine we used to travel in time is broken - probably exhausted by mana. I also sealed away the Eternal Sword and thus can't use it. I doubt it would even work perfectly well. I am not a swordsman._

_If the machine works in your time, please, come visit me and bring a group of those researches and technicians with you. They can fix that machine._

_If I remember correctly, we never told you how we travelled to the future. We used an ancient device, located in the ruins of Thor. _

_It would delight me greatly if you paid me a visit._

_Love, _

_Claus."_

"Wow… So that's what it was all about!" Arche giggled, hoping that the girl was already asleep. "I had a feeling something was going on, but this…"

Giggling sorceress sat on the edge of the table and thought a while. She could tell Suzu that she had read the letter. Or she could put it back to Ninja's pocket. Maybe the best option was to say nothing.

With that decision made, Arche went to bed. After all, midnight had passed hours ago.

--

In the past Arche was flying around. Passing Euclid, she decided to pay Claus a visit. The man had been a bit gloomy when they had parted, and she thought she could cheer him up.

As she rose her hand to knock on the door, it opened and the man came out, holding a letter in his hand and looking like he was in a hurry.

Arche moved out of his way, starting to follow him. She wondered why the summoner didn't notice her.

Sighing, she took off and flew few rounds over Claus. "C'mon, old man! Where are you going?"

She startled him, like many times before. "Alvanista."

The girl puffed her cheeks. "Grumpy, aren't we?"

"I had an argument with Milard and decided to go and see Lundgrom. Happy?"

"Okay, okay. I get it. You don't want me with you. If that's the case, let's part ways. I'll see you in Alvanista then."

As the witch took off again, Claus sighed.

Oh well…

He actually had had an argument with Milard, but that wasn't the reason why had left. He wanted to deliver the letter to Lundgrom so the half-elf could give it to Suzu. Of course, when Claus had told his assistant about his plans to go to a journey again, she had flipped and started yelling.

He had left early in the morning, before Milard would have even woken up, let alone arrived to his home. He had left her a note, but she would get angry anyway. Probably she'd chase him to Alvanista and back.

"_Milard. I'm going to leave tomorrow for Alvanista."_

"_What are you sa_y_ing?"_

"_Don't worry, I'll be gone only for few weeks."_

"_Oh no, professor. You're not leaving for another journey!"_

"_Listen now. Just this one more time. Then I'll be back for good, okay?"_

"_Claus!"_

Claus sighed as he remembered Milard's angry and hopeless expression. But it just couldn't be helped. And so he continued his journey.

--

Back in the future, the girl who had received the letter was waking up. Stretching her limbs one by one she yawned, narrowing her eyes in the bright morning light. It seemed that Arche was still asleep.

Suzu got up as quietly as she could - and it was really quiet, like a feather. She dressed and helped herself some breakfast. Then she scribbled a quick note for Arche, so the older girl wouldn't worry.

The door cracked only slightly as she opened it. Cool and crisp morning air welcomed the Ninja and she smiled. It was going to be a good day for walking.

It took two more days for Suzu to reach Euclid. Since Dhaos had been defeated, less and less monsters were roaming about.

Euclid was a noisy city. Once it had been small and sleepy, but it had been hundred or so years ago. When Claus had lived there. Suzu wished she would be able to see it even once.

The research academy was located in the north-west part of the town. Suzu hadn't been there before. The building had two floors - above ground. It also had - like a good laboratory should have - a basement.

When Suzu introduced herself to the guards, she handed them a letter from Lundgrom. They, too, looked her in disbelief, but let her through and into the basement.

The basement didn't differ much from Alvanista's lab. Though, it had only one room and lot more light was allowed to come in. A silent 'wow' escaped Suzu's lips as she walked towards a man in long, white coat.

"Excuse me, mister. Is Harrisson here?"

"A girl?" The man had huge glasses and their lenses tripled the size of his eyes.

"Mister, is Harrisson here?"

"I'm sorry. Yes, he's over there."

Then the man dismissed Suzu with his hand, pointing further into the laboratory. As she proceeded, she looked around with plain interest. She thought that she could actually work here.

"What's your business here, little missy?" A man with slate-coloured hair was standing on her way and she'd almost bumped onto him.

"Oh, sorry. I'm looking for a man named Harrisson…"

"That's me."

"I'm Suzu. I am interested in time travelling technology and Lundgrom told me to come and see you. He gave me the impression you are the head of the Thor expedition…"

"I am. I, for one, have travelled to the past. But only once. Soon after that the machine broke down and now we're looking for a way to fix it."

Suzu nodded with a thoughtful expression. "I heard that from Lundgrom. But… I might be able to help you to fix the machine."

"And why is a girl as young as you interested in time travel?" Harrisson asked, looking slightly suspicious.

"Harrisson… There is someone I must meet in the past."

Harrisson looked like he couldn't care less. And why should he? A girl suddenly barges into laboratory and claims that she has to go to the past. He sighed.

Maybe it was a bit unusual.

"A dead relative, maybe? Or to tell someone that they're going to die?"

Suzu shook her head violently. "No! It's not like that… It is my friend… And, and I have to tell him that I love him!"

"Oh? Love? So, you're one of those annoying bookworms…" By bookworms Harrisson meant a bunch of young girls who had taken interest in history and fell in love with imaginary heroes of legends or maybe even with a real historical character.

"No! You just don't get it! I really know him! You know him too!" Suzu had tears in her eyes now. Why couldn't that stupid, self-centred man understand her?

Harrisson was taken aback. "I do? By any chance, you don't mean…"

"I do! I do mean Claus!"

The man sighed. "Okay. You're in. We leave in few days. You got here just in time…"

"Thank you, Harrisson!"

He shook his head. "Be well prepared. We are going to stay there for a month or two. Thor is located very far in north, so it can get cold."

"I know. I've seen it. It is very near Friezkiel, isn't it?"

"Hmmm, yes. And Arlee isn't that far either. Have you been there?"

Suzu smiled. Memory of Friezkiel was one of her favourites… "Yes, I travelled there with the Heroes. We defeated Dhaos together…"

Harrisson looked suspicious once again. "What? You were there with them? Akid like you?"

She shrugged. "I was. That's how I met Claus. And Cress and Chester and Mint and Arche. They're all my friends… but Claus is the only one I can't meet right now."

"Excuse me… did you just mention Arche?" A new voice joined the conversation.

"Why, yes. I visited her just a few days ago", Suzu answered and looked up to the speaker.

He was a half-elf, purple eyes, big ears and green hair. His face was lit by a smile that spread onto his features. "I knew it!"

"Oh, it's you! She told me to say hi for her!"

"She did?"

"Uh-huh."

"She's always so nice, isn't she?"

As the two continued chatting, Harrisson thought that he'd better retreat and return to his experiments.

"She is. Arche never told me your name…I'm Suzu."

"She didn't? Oh, I'm Joshua. Nice to meet you, Suzu."

The Ninja girl bowed. "Nice to meet you."

"You want to grab something to eat? I'm starving."

"Sounds good. I haven't eaten anything since morning, and it's already afternoon."

--

Dun-dun-dunnnn. Yea right. Will Suzu and Joshua become good friends? Does Suzu have time to visit Cress and the others? How will the trip to Thor go? Can they fix the machine? How does Claus's journey to Alvanista go? What is the past Acrhe planning? Or the future one? Read and find out.

Again, reviews and such are loved and always answered in a appropriate way. And sorry, I can't remember if it is Harrisson or Harrison or whatever.


	4. Chapter 4

Fourth one already… And I should be doing schoolwork. Great.

--

The half-elf researcher and the ninja girl sat in a cafeteria and chatted.

"Say, Joshua, are you in that Thor expedition?"

"I am. It's very interesting… But we still haven't made much improvement with the time machine. It's pretty frustrating…"

Suzu looked down. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that…"

"But I think we might be able to fix it in less than ten years, so it's not that bad."

"Ten years?"

"I'm sorry. To a human it is longer than to a half-elf…" Joshua apologized.

"It's not that, but ten years! Ten years! Ten long years before I am able to travel in time!"

The half-elven man looked at her, question in his sparkling eyes. "You're going to use it?"

"I am. There is someone I must meet again. But… You mustn't tell Arche about it! She'd laugh! Oh my…" Suzu looked a bit horrified by the thought that she was telling things like that to Arche's boyfriend.

He cocked his head slightly. "Okay, I won't tell her. Who are you going to see?"

Suzu's ears were tinted pink and she looked away from Joshua. "Has Arche ever told you about her journeys?"

"The ones where she flies around the world? Yup."

"No, not those… it seems like she hasn't. I'll tell you. I'll tell you how we met."

"She has made other journeys? Okay, I'll hear your story."

"Thanks. I don't know all the parts or details of this story, but I'll try my best. You surely know the legend of the Four Heroes that defeated Dhaos few centuries ago in Valhalla Plains. You surely have heard the history book's version of it. Anyways. It happened in time when Midgards was still standing, tall and strong.

Those Four Heroes were Cress, Mint, Claus and Arche. All of them are dear friends of mine."

"What do you mean, Arche was-"

"Please, let me tell me my story. Listen to me, but do not interrupt."

Joshua looked apologizing. "Sorry."

"Two of these Heroes, Cress and Mint, were from the future. To us, it would be about 50 years in the past. You can go and meet them in Miguel… Back in their time, Miguel was called Toltus. A black knight destroyed the village, in order to retrieve a pendant from Cress. He had already found the first one of the two pendants that bind the Demon King inside a sarcophagus that was located in the Catacombs that were destroyed.

Cress and Mint, who had escaped from the knight's prison, travelled to the Catacombs with Cress's best friend, Chester, in order to prevent Dhaos's seal from being broken.

They failed. A powerful cleric, Morrison, send them back in time. Chester fell behind, blocking one of Dhaos' attacks with his own body…

Mint and Cress travelled back in time, to the time of magic. Dhaos had appeared there few years ago.

These two Heroes were searching for help, for a way to defeat Dhaos back in their own time. Or, even better, in this time. They found a scholar named Claus. Claus was a summoner, a human with a long lost ability to communicate with spirits. They joined forces. After that they met with a half-elven witch, Arche.

Four Heroes went to war of Valhalla. They won it, but many lives were sacrificed.

The Heroes invaded Dhaos' castle and fought him, but he escaped to future.

Now the Heroes had to find a way back to future…

An ancestor of master Morrison had left them with a book that had scriptures of Thor and time machine.

Before they were able to travel in time they had to restore mana that the Mana Cannon had consumed… Because of the use of Magitech, there was not magic or mana in the future.

They were able to heal the Tree of Life, Yggdrasil. After that, they headed north, to the supposed location of Thor, the ancient kingdom. It was there, underwater. Claus used his skills as summoner and used Undine's power to dive. They used ancient technology to raise the city. Now the time machine was to be used…

That's how Mint, Cress, Arche and Claus travelled in time for the first time. They travelled back to Mint and Cress's time, to the Catacombs.

Chester was there, waiting for his friend return. They fought with Dhaos, and they thought it was the end. But oh no, it wasn't. This is the beginning of my story.

You see, Dhaos had once again fled to the future. To this time. You may remember it… There are no documents of this part of the story. Not those that tell the truth.

Heroes didn't know that Dhaos had fled, and they were ready part ways. But just then, a flash of time travel was seen and Harrisson showed up, pleading for their help.

And help they did. They headed to Thor, ready to travel in time. They travelled 50 years to future. That's our last year.

They headed to Alvanista. They weren't able to get there by sea, there were no ships operating. But they got Techbirds from Euclid. You've been using those same machines.

They weren't ready use, though. The Birds had to be strengthened with magical power so that they could fly far. This is where Claus helped with his summoning skills. He made a pact with Volt.

But, before that, the Heroes and I crossed ways. I was in Volt's cave, undergoing a trial. I was in trouble, and they helped me.

They made the pact and travelled to Alvanista, flying on the Techbirds. Some things happened, battles were fought. They ended up in my village.

Dhaos had been turning my people into monsters… And that had happened to my parents, too. I asked the Heroes for help in finding them. They agreed.

They found my parents near Euclid and fought them… But they were defeated and then…

I killed them with my own hands. I killed my parents…"

It had happened a long time ago, but it was still hard for her. Suzu sobbed.

"I… I'm sorry to hear that. Here, take this", Joshua said, handing her a handkerchief.

"Thanks… So, the story continues. I decided to join them, in order to make the world a better place. A place where no one would have to be under Dhaos' control.

We journeyed, looking for a way to defeat Dhaos.

We learned of the Eternal Sword. It is a legendary sword the spirit Origin created a long, long time ago… but it's power was scattered all over the world, in the form of a pact ring and two swords. We found them and took them to Origin. He merged the sword for Cress.

With the power of the Eternal Sword, we were able to bind Dhaos in that time and defeat him.

Then, we parted ways. I stayed here, in my own time when the others travelled back in time. Cress, Mint and Chester live in Miguel. They rebuild the town. They're all old, probably going to die soon… Arche is a long lived half-elf. And…Claus. Claus is dead."

A silence fell over the table Suzu and Joshua were sitting on. Joshua was trying to understand what the girl had just said.

"You mean that Arche is a legendary Hero? And you, too? You're, what, ten years? You are kidding me, right?" the green haired man laughed in disbelief.

Suzu shook her head. "No, it's the truth. And I'm 12 years old. If you don't believe me, ask Arche. Or go to Miguel to talk with Cress and the others."

Joshua rubbed his forehead. "It's not that… It's just kinda hard to believe, right?"

"Hey, what if you come with me to Miguel? I was going to pay them a visit anyways. I haven't seen them for a while. And it's been even longer time since they last saw me…"

"But… don't we have only few days before we leave for Thor? We won't be able to make it there and back in time! Well, barely if we use Techbirds."

"It's alright. I'm a ninja."

"What is that supposed to mean? Does you being a ninja help us in that matter?" Joshua rolled his eyes.

"Just follow me to the fields outside the city. I'll show you how we, the ninja, travel."

As soon as they were in a spot Suzu thought was good enough, she closed her eyes and told Joshua to stay close to her.

"Spirits of shadows, those of fallen leaves."

Joshua eyed the girl as if she was doing something that wasn't going to work. Still, Suzu kept chanting and moving her hands as swiftly as she could.

"Shadows of forest, hear my call. I want to travel fast and far. Gather around, spirits of darkness."

Joshua wondered if this was some kind of a summon. It sure sounded like that… He almost jumped back when Suzu suddenly opened her eyes.

"Take us to the town of Miguel! Shadow Storm!"

A whirlwind of dead leaves formed around the two, and when it cleared, they were standing in the middle of Miguel.

"What was that?" Joshua asked, his purple eyes as big as saucers.

"It is one of the ninja arts. Now, follow me. Let's look for them."

--

In the past Claus had just boarded a ship that was heading for Alvanista. He kept thinking how boring travelling was now that he was alone. He didn't know anyone from the ship, and all the other travellers were fishermen, merchants or politicians. Boring folk.

It took a whole, boring week before the coast of Alvanista was seen. After that it took a day to reach port. As fast as his feet touched the solid ground, Claus sighed in relief and headed towards the castle.

The guards knew him and let him through, into the laboratory where he knew Lundgrom was staying.

And he did found Lundgrom from the laboratory.

"Knock knock, Lundgrom. I have a favour to ask of you."

"Oh, so you came back from the future! It's good to see you again!"

Claus smiled. "It's good to be back. If you wanted to hear what happened after we left-"

"No, don't. I'll live long enough to see it myself."

"Ah, right. You're a half-elf like Arche. And, come to think of it…"

Lungrom sighed. "Yes, I am. Now, you had a favour to ask?"

The summoner nodded, pulling a letter from his pocket. "I want you to keep this safe. And when a girl named Suzu Fujibayashi comes to visit you, please, give this to her. But only when she's alone. If she comes with others, don't give it to her. Because this conversation never happened."

"That is an easy task. But the others you mentioned…?"

Claus shook his head. "You didn't want to hear. But you must be patient, she won't come here for over a decade. And after that, it isn't sure whether she comes or not. So, please, my friend. Be patient. You will know when the time comes. I'm sure of it."

"Claus, this is the least I can do. After all, you saved the world!" the half-elf smiled as he said those words.

"I guess I saved. With the others. You mustn't forget that."

The smile never left Lundgrom's face. "Are you staying at the Inn?"

"No, actually, I'd better get back as soon as I can. I bet Milard is ready to come and find me herself… She got really pissed off when I left!" Claus shook his head.

"Hmm, that's too bad. You could have stayed here, in the castle. But, as the things are… Well, I guess we have to tell goodbye for now."

The smile on Lundgrom's lips died. He had wished that Claus could have stayed a bit longer. There were many things he wanted to discuss with the summoner.

"I suppose so. As long as Milard is working for me, she won't let me journey again. But you can always come and visit me in Euclid", Claus offered.

"Okay. I'll come someday, when we don't have much work here in the laboratory."

The half-elf followed Claus till the port and waved at him when his ship left from port.

--

Gah, that was it. Four chapter. Great. And schoolwork… Well, not so great. I still need to write two essays for Friday. It's Wednesday today. And there are exams coming… I hate this!

Bah. This chapter is more like a filler… Whatever. And I know the story didn't go quite like that, but, that was the best I could remember.

So, anyways. Will Joshua tell Arche? Will he believe the story? Will Lundgrom visit Claus? Why didn't Arche and Claus meet in Alvanista? Why do I always write these questions?

You know, the usual. Flames, questions, reviews and comments are welcomed and answered appropriately.

So, who wants a cookie?


	5. Chapter 5

I actually don't have time to write new chapters at the moment… But when I have, I'll write. Let's just hope that I'll get my inspiration back.

The last chapter wasn't that good, right?

But I really liked that Shadow Storm incantation. It turned out well.

--

"This is Miguel?" Joshua asked. "This is the real Miguel, not just some ninja trick?"

Suzu sighed. "Yes, this is real. And… before we go and see Cress and the others, well, there is something you should know."

The half-elf cocked his head. "Yeah?"

"You… really shouldn't mention Arche. Not to Chester, anyways."

"Was there… something between them?"

"Nothing much, I guess. They were arguing all the time, but Chester… He sure liked her a lot."

"Ah, so that's how it is. I get it."

Suzu nodded in approval. She wasn't sure where her companions lived, and thus she decided to start asking. Miguel wasn't that big town.

It wasn't a hard task, just like she had predicted. The first person they asked was a traveller, so he had no idea about their whereabouts. Second person they asked was a girl, not much older than Suzu herself. She was helping out at the item shop.

"Excuse me. Do you happen to know where Cress lives? Or Chester? They're my friends and it's been a long time since I last saw them…" Suzu asked. She wasn't sure how to talk to a girl almost as young as herself. She was so much more used to talking to adults who knew what they wanted, who knew what they were supposed to do, who knew who they were.

The girl nodded and flashed a smile at Joshua. Suzu sighed. The half-elf was charming and every female seemed to be attracted to him. It was a bit annoying.

"Why, that's nice to hear. Could you tell us? We've travelled a long way to get here", Joshua smiled. Suzu wasn't so sure if it was all act or if he actually was hitting on the girl. Or maybe Arche's boyfriend really was so dense and didn't understand that the girl was hitting on him.

"Okay. I'll show you where they live!" The girl chirped, chirped in a very annoying way and Suzu hoped that she wasn't related to any of her friends.

The girl really showed the travellers where Cress lived. It really shouldn't have surprised Suzu to notice that he lived in the fencing school. Because, after all, Cress was the master of Albane style sword-fighting.

"Thank you, miss. We are very grateful. Is there anything we can do to reward you?" Suzu asked, bowing slightly.

The girl giggled. "A kiss from this handsome mister here would be all."

Suzu blushed and her mouth tightened into a straight line. She quickly glanced at Joshua, whose expression was somewhat amused.

"A kiss?" Joshua asked, light smile playing on his lips.

"Y-yes. If that isn't too much to ask", the girl stuttered and blushed.

Suzu watched in horror as Joshua bent down over the girl and placed a kiss on her cheek. She couldn't understand this. Joshua had a girlfriend!

"There, that okay?" the half-elf asked, still smiling.

"Y-yes, mister."

"Now then, Joshua… We should get going", Suzu said, a little confused and angry.

The man waved the girl goodbye and turned to face Suzu. He nodded and Suzu opened the door to the school of fencing.

"Hi there. Are you interested in the Albane style of sword fighting? We have several courses for beginners like you, little miss. And you, handsome mister, would you like something a bit more advanced?" A pushy female voice greeted the two as they stepped it. The voice belonged to a blonde woman in revealing clothes, cleaning her nails behind the reception table.

Suzu flinched. "No, _madam._ We are here to meet Cress."

"Master Albane doesn't want to see a kid like you, little miss. Now go to play with your friends. And you, mister, you didn't say if you were interested…"

The Ninja girl sighed. "If I didn't make myself clear enough, we are here to see Cress. And I'm pretty sure he wants to see me."

"Go away, you're scaring off our students. Or, maybe you want him to teach you privately?"

"Madam. I don't have time to be playing pathetic games like this. All we need for you to do is tell us where Cress is", Suzu growled. She was getting angry. People like that lady were hard to handle. And she didn't want Joshua to get involved, so she kept poking his side with her elbow to keep him quiet.

"You little… How dare you call Master Albane Cress? Even his best students aren't allowed to do that!" The woman had stood up and leaned over the desk.

"Please, just let us through."

"Never! Not a kid like you! And just what business do you even have with Master Albane?"

"I am a friend of his. My family gave him one of his best swords. I suppose you have it somewhere on display… I am here to claim it back."

"You're kidding! You can't be the owner of Masamune! A kid like you!" The woman was almost shrieking now. She also tried hard not to laugh. Apparently, she found the whole situation funny. Suzu didn't. She was pissed off.

"If it is what is needed, then I'll be more than happy to show my swords skills to you."

Suzu was loosing her cool, but she tried hard not to show it. And she truly was ready to defeat one or more practice opponents to get a meeting with Cress. Actually, she thought, it might even do good for her aggression. And maybe, when she finally would get that meeting of hers, she would ask her friend to fire that pushy lady.

"You know how to wield a sword? Now that's entertaining. Wait here, I'll ask if we're able to set up a competition to humiliate you."

With those words, the annoying reception lady walked away from the situation and went to talk with couple of teachers.

"Suzu, you know… I could have handled that better", Joshua sighed.

"I know, but I wanted to do that myself. Besides, Cress is my friend."

"…I'm actually starting to suspect that."

Suzu sighed, as if saying that she just didn't care what Joshua thought.

"Hey, was that part about Masamune true? It is almost a legend, that sword", Joshua asked merrily, with no trace of his semi-depression just a moment ago.

"It is true. I was going to receive that sword when I was qualified as Ninja, but my grandpa gave it to Cress on his journey. Still, now that I am qualified Ninja, I might as well ask if he could give it back to me", Suzu explained.

"Okay, little miss. We have prepared a small competition. Do you want to hear the rules?" The receptionist had returned.

"Oh, okay."

"So, first you have to win five opponents, best of every course. Starting from weakest, of course. You can not use any recovery items like gels. You must use a sword. You are allowed to use techniques. You are not allowed to use magic. Clear enough?"

Suzu nodded. "I understand. Now, if you would please show me my first opponent?"

The woman showed Suzu a thin boy, about two years older than herself. He looked a bit unsure and wobbly.

"Are you ready?" One of the teachers shout.

Suzu and the boy both nodded and took their battle stances.

"Fight!"

As soon as Suzu heard the shout, she jumped and evaded a badly aimed attack. She landed behind the boy and hit him on the back with the hilt of her sword. In an instant he fell to the ground, totally limp.

"What a weak opponent."

"Challenger Suzu wins!" The teacher exclaimed as the boy was carried away to be healed.

Her next opponent was an elf woman. She was tall and had a confident pose. The elf told Suzu not to worry about it. She would make it end soon.

Suzu chuckled. Like the elf woman could win her…

"Ready? Fight!"

The elf was fast, right after the mark she had leaped close to Suzu, ready to slash her. But the Ninja was even faster, she evaded the attack with a jump. While in the air, she kicked the elf's back of head. She was careful not to hit too hard. Just enough to make her wobble.

And while the woman was trying to regain her sense of direction, Suzu was in front of her, hitting her hard on her stomach. Again, with just the hilt of her short sword.

The woman gagged and fell onto the ground.

"And challenger Suzu wins, two in a row!"

The Ninja just shook her head. These people were weak. They probably hadn't practiced long and intensively enough.

Some people had gathered around their replacement for arena. Some of them were cheering for Suzu, some for her opponents.

"Way to go, kid! You can do it!"

"Take them all down!"

She had to smile. It was actually pretty nice to be cheered for.

"Opponent number three! Ready? Fight!"

This opponent was a girl, about 18 years old. She was wielding twin blades. Suzu decided to attack from behind, as it seemed that her opponent's frontal defence was too good.

Right after the command to fight, Suzu leaped into air. She almost flew behind her prey. Deciding to use the hilt again, she drew her sword and hit. But the opponent didn't fall, like she had predicted. Instead, she turned around and hit Suzu with the dull sides of her blades.

Suzu stumbled backwards, swiping dirt from her face. She grunted.

Now, this was actually a real opponent.

For a while, the two of the standing there, staring each other before leaping closer, ready to hit.

--

Aaaaaaaaand end of chapter!

How will the fight end? Will Suzu and Joshua be able to see Cress? Does Chester live with him? Why I didn't tell anything about past in this chapter? Why?

Err, this is last finished chapter I have so far. It'll take a while to finish a new one. Besides, I don't have much ideas for coming chapters… Let's just say that I suffer from a movie mania. All my time goes flying by while I watch movies. Then there is, of course, school. We have vacation next week, and I wonder if I'll get to write another chapter. Probably not. I'll play Sims all vacation. Hahhahhahh…

Heh, this was a bit short one, this chapter.

Reviews, flames, ideas and all that nonsense is awesomely awesome and respected! And answered in the same manner. Thank you for reading.


	6. Chapter 6

We have our summer vacation in two months. That's awesome, but… There's something I hate about summer. You know what it is? Sun. The sun! I hate it. It's scorching hot, terribly bright and EW. And I can't sleep! It's already too bright. I ALWAYS wake up before it's eight in the morning and go to sleep around midnight… So I'm always very tired. Nice. And if I go to bed any earlier, I can't fall asleep. Great. This morning we didn't have class before middle day and hey, guess who wakes up at 6.30 AM!

Yup. Me.

On to the chapter…

--

It was a fierce fight, hit after hit, slash after slash. The opponent was strong, Suzu handed that to her. But something about her stance, her movements… There was something wrong, and the Ninja came to conclusion that it was because of the girl's two swords.

Both of them were already pretty beat up, sweat, dirt and blood staining their faces and clothes.

Suzu was, once again, thrown down by a powerful thrust from her opponent. Suzu was panting, exhausted. Maybe she had been neglecting her training for too long… She wasn't going to win at this rate and she knew it. But maybe… yes. If the used _that_ technique… Then she might have a chance.

Suzu stood up, slightly staggering and shot a glare at her opponent, as if to tell her to stay away. The opponent glared back, taking a defensive stance. Try all you want, Suzu thought. Because you're not going to stand after this.

Taking a deep breath the Ninja girl lifted her hands up, bringing them together and moving them in increasing speed. While still making signs with her hands, Suzu started to chant calmly, not minding the twin-bladed girl, leaping closer, raising her blades.

"I call upon the fire-breather, the familiar… I summon thee, come, Jiraya!" As Suzu's chant neared the end, she felt something gather over her head. Something warm, something bubbling… She smiled, evaded her enemy's attack with a jump and when landing, she brought a giant frog down with her. Commanding the animal with the swift movement of her small hands, Suzu told it to attack her opponent.

The opponent sure was taken by surprise when she felt the flames against her back. And then, without a warning, she was down. Suzu dismissed her familiar as the judge called another win for her. Maybe she did have a chance after all.

--

On the other side of the ocean and decades back in time, Lundgrom sighed. He had been reading the same book for hours, but somehow it had all just flowed straight out of his head. It was no good, reading something but not understanding it.

The half-elf laid the book down. "On Fonology", the title announced. It was an ancient book on some sort of science that had existed long before magic. Like Magitech, it had been forgotten many millennias ago. Still, Lundgrom had an interest for ancient sciences and technology and that was the reason he had become a researcher.

Once again Lundgrom sighed heavily. Something was bugging him, but he couldn't quite catch what it was. It was annoying, an unpleasant feeling. Maybe if he just tried to shrug it off…

The half-elf decided to go and take walk outside in the Castle Garden. And after that, maybe he'd ask that pretty human-maid for a cup of tea. What was her name again… Ah, Emily or something of that sort. Well, he would remember it soon enough.

--

"Opponent number four! Ready? Fight!"

This time the enemy was a middle-aged man with a long, wooden sword. He was tall and bulky. Glancing to the crowd beside the arena, Suzu saw Joshua, the half-elf looking very concerned. She gave him a weak smile. It all would be alright, she was sure of it. She just wanted him to be sure of it, too.

Suzu staggered a bit when evading her enemy's attack, trying her best to defend herself and maybe counter-attack.

In one, almost impossibly quick motion, the tall man was behind Suzu and with another motion, she was down.

Defeated with her own trick, hit by a hilt on the back of her head. She gave a weak groan as her vision blurred, then focused and unfocused again. It wouldn't be long before she'd faint…

--

"Master! Master!" a boy, about 17 years of age, was knocking on the door, screaming at the top of his lungs. His master was old, but he was in great shape and as far from deaf as a human could be. So why didn't he open the door…? "Master! Please, master!"

The door cracked open and an old man peeked out. "What is it, Ewan, my boy?"

"Master! I'm so glad you were there! Please, you must come, quickly!" Ewan's voice was high-pitched with panic and he was in verge of tears. "Please! And take Mistress with you! Quickly, to the Central Square!"

The old master was beginning to look worried. "What's wrong, Ewan? Did something happen?" The safety of the village had been the master's worry for little more than 50 years, and he took it very seriously. But now, as his once orange hair was completely gray and falling down, there wasn't much he could do about the safety.

"They.. They're having unauthorized fight at the Square! We… We need to go there as soon as possible, to stop that nonsense! And you'd better take the Healer with you! Someone might have gotten hurt, the challenger was pretty strong!"

"Fine, Ewan. We'll come as soon as we can. You go on ahead", the old man said as he started closing the door.

"But… But Master Albane! You have to come!"

"I promise. As soon as we can. Now go on ahead, my boy."

"Master!"

--

Joshua saw it all very clearly. The stagger, failed counter-attack and the final hit. Suzu had already been weak, she hadn't used any restoration items at all - not that they were even allowed - and all her opponents were, well, fresh.

As fast as Suzu had fallen down the half-elf was there beside her, checking if she was still breathing, if her pulse was steady. The Ninja girl was okay, just exhausted and unconscious. The half-elf let out a small sigh. He hoped that the damage wasn't anything serious. Carefully Joshua lifted Suzu up, on his arms and started making his way away from the crowd. Some people, probably the judges and the receptionist, were trying to stop him. Joshua didn't listen, didn't care. All he was focused on was the little girl in his arms and taking her somewhere where she could rest, maybe inn… or even better, a healer.

--

She was watering her flowers, when her husband entered the garden. "What is it, love?" She asked, free of worry. She was going to say some more, but the expression on her beloved's face stopped her. "what has happened? Is everything okay? Is someone hurt?" She asked, suddenly worried as she hurried to him.

"Mint, darling, there's some sort of commotion outside at the Square. They need us to check it out", the swordsman said while embracing his wife.

"But Cress… my powers aren't like they used to be anymore. Maybe someone younger could help better…"

Cress shook his head. "No. It has to be you. Besides, there's no other healer around now."

With a small sigh the woman nodded and reached down for her staff. "Alright. I'll do it. You're coming with me?"

--

"Hey! You there! Stop!" a voice called him, but he didn't care. Where was the inn? Suzu was still unconscious in Joshua's arms, but her breathing was steady. Though, the half-elf had noticed that the girl was bleeding rather badly from where she had bee hit - and from numerous other locations. Now, where in the Goddess' name was the inn?

Joshua was too focused in finding the inn that he didn't notice an old lady running towards him.

"Oh!", the lady exclaimed, seemingly very surprised as she stopped just before she run into Joshua. "Mister, please stop!"

And Joshua stopped. There was something in the woman's voice that made him do it. It was calm, maybe fragile but still somehow very… commanding.

"Oh, I knew it… Dear Lord, she looks so bad…" The woman murmured, leaning over Suzu's limp body. "If you would, please mister. Lay her down so I can get a better look at her."

Without a word Joshua obeyed. Suzu let out a small groan as he placed her on the ground. The woman kneeled down and searched Suzu's body for broken bones. every time she found something that didn't feel quite right, she shook her head and sighed.

"It's good, no broken bones. Has been worse. Let's just hope she'll be fine his time, too…"

Suddenly the lady looked up to Joshua. She smiled at him and gave him an order to keep a watch for a while. Joshua agreed without even thinking twice and turned his back to the females.

"O holy ones… grant me thy purifying powers, the light of heaven…" the old woman had closed her eyes and placed her right hand over Suzu's forehead. She was chanting a healing spell and with her left hand, she drew symbols into the air. Suddenly a blue, glimmering circle appeared under her and Suzu. At this point, Joshua turned around in surprise. He had never before seen anything like that, even though he had lived for almost hundred years. Man, this day sure was full of surprises… Firstly, the Ninja trick Suzu had used to transport them to Miguel, secondly the fire-breathing monster Suzu had summoned out of nowhere and finally, the healing arts this old lady was using.

"I ask of thee, Cure!" The said lady gasped at last. Slightly panting she opened her eyes, drew her hand from Suzu's head and got up. "Please, mister, if you would be so kind. Lift her up and follow me."

"Uhhh, sure… And, umm, thank you, madam," Joshua mumbled, looking and sounding very confused. He picked Suzu up, wondering just how the healing arts worked. The lady was leading way to the direction where Joshua had been heading to before she had interrupted him. The half-elf followed.

--

In the past, another half-elf was facing a problem. The problem wasn't that a maid named Emily was nowhere to be found(well, he couldn't find her), but the problem was that a letter, a very important one, was hopelessly gone.

"I swear… I swear that if I'll ever find it, I'll carry it with me everywhere I go", he managed to hiss from between is teeth. His study, earlier that day very clean, was now turned upside down, books and paper in unsteady piles on the floor. One careless movement and it all would come crashing down.

"…shit."

--

Who was the old lady? Just who is Ewan? Where is Joshua carrying Suzu? Will they be able to meet with Cress? What happened to Claus? Why do we have exams? Where is the letter Lundgrom is looking for? Just what letter it is? Why did he read a book on fonology, when it has nothing to do with the story? Why do I keep on writing this even though no one actually reads this?

And that's it. Hmm, I think I just found several plot holes. But if you can't find them, don't even think about them, really. I should just write this again but I don't feel like it. Bear with me.

I actually shouldn't write this, because we have some exams coming up… but I've been reading so much Swedish and some psychology lately that my brain's gonna explode any time now. Heh. And the physics and Russian, too =__=

I'm mixing Tales of Symphonia, Abyss and Phantasia here… If you noticed, you get a cookie~

Reviews are loved and will be answered. Even flames are welcome, but you really shouldn't bother - they'll just be answered the same way.


	7. Chapter 7

You know, the best part writing a fic are the AN's. Really. I just love writing about anything stupid, annoying, awful and nice that's happened to me. Maybe I should keep a journal or a blog or a diary? I've tried already, but unsuccessfully… Heh.

I'm sorry that this took sooooo long to write, but, I just really haven't been on mood for writing this. I've been up to some other stuff, gotten into a couple of new fandoms and… now I've gotten my will to write back! I'm on a really creative mood, so watch out. And, I was supposed to type this already couple of weeks ago, but stuff - like cleaning my dorm room for the weekend accommodation and exams - came up. So, once again - sorry for the delay!

I also spotted some spelling error in the last chapter, but I won't bother correcting them because I'll be re-writing this entire story when it's finally finished.

And I already forgot those plot holes. Stupid me.

--

Joshua followed the lady to a building in the north-western part of the town. He noticed it was positioned right next to the fencing school, but didn't think anything of it.

"Please, go in and lay her down on the bed. The bedroom is on the left…"

"But.. Where are you…" Joshua stuttered, holding Suzu tightly against his chest.

"I have some things I need to care of. Some people to meet." And with that, the woman hurried away, leaving Joshua standing there.

Finally, when the lady had disappeared from his sight, he dared to go into the house.

The rooms were spacey, but not too big. Big windows let the sunshine in, illuminating the house. The furniture was neat, floors clean. And just like she had said, there was a small wooden door on the left. It cracked a bit as it opened. Behind was the door was a small room with one window. There wasn't much furniture inside, only a bed, small table and an armchair, made of red leather.

Joshua stepped into the room and placed Suzu onto the bed, then covering her with a woollen blanket.

Sighing, he seated himself onto the armchair and stared at the girl.

_I hope she's alright. _

--

Mint hurried back towards the Square, glancing around as if she was looking for someone.

"Ah, Ewan!" she exclaimed as she dashed after the apprentice swordsman.

The black-haired boy turned around and waved.

"Lady Mint! Is something wrong? Was someone hurt?" he asked, his brows furrowing in worry.

Mint shook her head. "Where is Cress?"

"Master stayed at the Square to take care of the commotion. I thought you were there with him, Mistress."

"Yes, yes, I was there. But is he still there, Ewan?"

The boy shook his head. "I do not know."

Mint took him by the hand, pulling him with her towards the Square. "Then we're going to find out."

--

Cress had ordered all the people to go to back to their homes, to do whatever they had been doing before. The contestants that had been defeated were all unconscious, but their wounds, if there were any, weren't fatal. If one didn't know better, they all looked like they were just sleeping.

"Master!" Ewan called as soon as he and Mint reached the Square. Cress glanced at them, smiling warmly.

"Oh, Cress, darling. Did you know she's come to see us?" Mint said, closing her hands around her husband's. "You need to inform Chester, he, too, has the right to know."

"Love, what do you mean?" Cress asked, totally oblivious.

"Suzu, darling! She's here! The challenger was her!"

Ewan listened to the conversation of t couple in wonder. As far as he knew, they had no children, but the girl - from the little he had seen - had looked fairly young and he was rather sure the old couple didn't have any friends so young. She really couldn't be any of the old students either, Ewan thought and chuckled. The thought of the couple having a child made him laugh - it was not like they were not capable of being parents, but… somehow they seemed more like just-married couple than two responsible adults. Or maybe she was a distant relative…He had heard that Mint wasn't originally from Miguel. Or Toltus, as the town had been called when his Master and Mistress were young.

"Ewan, please come with me to our house. Cress still needs to have a talk with the receptionist. And stop by Chester's", Mint said after finally finishing with Cress. She gently took Ewan by his hand as they started walking back to the north-west part of the town.

--

Joshua got up from the armchair as he heard someone come in. He peeked out from the room.

"Ah, lady!" he exclaimed.

"How is Suzu, young man? She's still unconscious?" the lady asked.

"Yes, she's slee- …not to sound rude, but… how do you know her name?" Joshua asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

"I haven't introduced myself, right? I'm Mint. Me and Suzu used to travel together."

Joshua blinked. "You… you were with her? And Arche? And the others?"

Mint smiled and nodded. That was when Joshua noticed a boy behind her. Mint noticed him noticing and moved to reveal a skinny boy.

"This is Ewan. He is one of Cress' most promising apprentices."

"Nice to meet you, mister", the boy said, visibly embarrassed by the compliment.

"Nice to meet you, too. I'm Joshua."

"Now, boys, if it isn't too much of a trouble for you, would you like to help me in the kitchen? We'll be having guests for dinner tonight", Mint suggested, her soft voice having that commanding edge again.

--

In the past, Lundgrom was in his study in a very unpleasant situation. He was buried under a pile of old, dusty and unbelievably heavy books – several dictionaries, couple of volumes of world history and even one romance novel he hadn't had time to hide yet.

"Ah… What to do…" he muttered, unable to move.

There was a knock on his door, and he called the person in. It was the maid, Emily or something like that, with a tray in her hands. "Master Lundgrom, I heard you were looking for me and I assumed you wanted some – oh my. What has happened to you?" she exclaimed as soon as she saw the lying under the mountain of books.

"Ah, thank Goddess someone came", Lundgrom muttered. "Would you please help me get out of here?"

--

And that's all, folks. Really.

Why was this chapter so short? Why can't I update more often? Where is the plot? What about Claus?


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